1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to surgical sutures, and more particularly to a folded paper package for double-armed ophthalmic sutures.
2. Description of Prior Art
Packages for surgical sutures are constructed according to the nature of the suture and its intended use. In general, the ideal package holds and protects the suture during handling and storage, and yet allows the suture to be readily removed with a minimum of handling.
In the case of ophthalmic sutures, the difficulty in providing a package which is convenient for the surgeon is particularly difficult due to the very fine diameter of the suture and small size of the needles. Once removed from the package, the sutures are easily lost among the towels and surgical implements in the operating field.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,261 describes a method of packaging ophthalmic sutures wherein the needles are held in a removable mount which aids in locating the sutures once removed from the package. The package of the present invention utilizes the concept of a needle mount as disclosed in this reference and represents an improvement over the package thereof.
Ophthalmic sutures are generally packaged as double-armed sutures in lengths of 5 to 18 inches. Although a double-armed suture is required for many ophthalmic procedures, single-armed sutures are also frequently required, and it has been the practice of ophthalmic surgeons to cut double-armed sutures in half to obtain two single-armed sutures. This is a time consuming step since the surgeon or operating room nurse must first remove the suture from the package, locate the midpoint, and then cut the suture. The problem of lost sutures is even greater in the case of single-armed sutures since the suture half not used immediately is out of the package and must be set aside without protection until needed.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a suture package for double-armed ophthalmic sutures which provides for improved storage and removal of ophthalmic sutures. It is a further object of this invention to provide a package for ophthalmic sutures in which the midpoint of the suture is identified and readily accessible for cutting before the suture is removed from the package.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a package for double-armed ophthalmic sutures which allows the suture to be cut in half either before or after removal from the package. These and other objects will be apparent from the ensuing description and claims.